Young Arb V's Dead Cypress

[yibida]

I love this photo of crew members removing a 100 year plus Montery Cypress in one of our city's major parks, it was more of an exercise / training session. We've had drought for over ten years and its one of many that are senescent as well as drought affected.

The guy climbing is still a touch on the green side which is fine as I've trained many like him and experience takes time but unfortunately he has a 'I know everything streak', as well as a very large ego.

I had questioned him about the way he was going to take the tree apart and lowering techniques he'd use and the job went reasonably well but I don't understand the concept of leaving all these protruding branch stubs everywhere when they only cause branch hook ups when lowering (which occurred on a few large limbs). Iv'e seen some other climbers do this on a few other take down jobs as well.

Anyway after we'd finished I asked him to explain why the rather large coat hangers he'd left up and down the stump while trying to lower large sections above? All I got was 'that's the way I always do it', and 'I feel heaps safer if I leave them there' and 'I might need to lower off them later' etc...

Maybe I'm gettin picky but the poor old ground crew were and the climber was happy to point out that they were just incompetent and should be able to lower no prob.

As much as I like to let guys I'm training feel their way through jobs with a little direction thrown in here and there I've realized there's just some people that have a painful temperament when your tryin to pass on a little guidance.

Anyone else have similar issues with folk working for them?

Yibida

 

[randyg]

Similar issues?

In a situation like this, if you want/feel they will make a good team member with a little adjusting and time, I would sandwich some advice, in between compliments, kinda like this. Hey Joe, wanted you to know I've been noticing your saw handling skills lately, you seem to be a natural at it, (Joe puffs up a bit) and next take down why don't you try cutting those limbs a bit closer to the stem so we won't have pieces getting stuck on them and ropes getting hung and pinched on them and lets see if it goes a bit smoother and better for everyone and safer as well, and thanks again for being part of our team. (Joe puffs again and then realizes he was just corrected, but thinks he liked it)

If your pretty sure they will never come around, you can just say, my way or the highway, and then wave.

 

[masiman]

With randyg's approach you'll know in a couple jobs if he is worth the effort. If you still think he might make it. Let him go another time or two doing it his way. After that make clear his own hangups. Give the crew a break and charge him for the time. Time is money out there and he is advertising your name to clients and peers. Those in the know would think you all don't have your act together. Even though you might as a climber, not as a boss if you can't get your guys to do things your way (which of course always the right way).

 

[blueatlascedar]

I believe all treemen have a little of the "I know it all" attitude or at least the potential to have it in them/us. As a arborist who ran my own business for over 20 years, I had several good climbers come and go. As the owner, I felt my decisions on how to handle a take down or even a large scale pruning had to be enforced, since I bid the job and knew how much time I had bid on it. I always tried to compliment and then suggest a better or more efficient way to do the job. Leaving hangup stubs like that would have had my blood boiling and I would've insisted they be removed flush to avoid the poor ground pounder working his butt off for no good reason costing time and more important, energy, untangling ropes.